


Sleeping On The Sidewalk

by Anonymous6285



Series: *pride* [15]
Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Period-Typical Homophobia, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28930164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous6285/pseuds/Anonymous6285
Summary: Paul's dad kicks him out after he comes out to him, and he can't work up the courage to tell John.
Relationships: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Series: *pride* [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967863
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this like six months ago and was gonna write a second part before I posted it and never did lol so here you go.

“Dad?” Paul whispered, shifting nervously in his seat, his fork clattering to his plate as he dropped it from his shaky hand. Mike, sitting next to him, had also gone silent. “Can you please say something? Anything?”

The boy’s eyes searched desperately for something on his father’s face, but he ended with nothing. “Paul, you… well, I’m going to need some time to process this.” That was a good sign. The apparent anger in his expression seemed to have died down. “Are you sure that you’re… gay?”

“I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t sure. Believe me.” It seemed for just a moment that it was all going to be okay, and then--

“God dammit,” he mumbled under his breath. “Can you just… just stay somewhere else tonight, okay? I just need to think about it for a bit.”

“Dad, where am I supposed to go?” Mike wanted to say something to help his older brother out. He knew their father was being unreasonable, but he was afraid that if he spoke up, he’d be kicked out, too.

“I don’t care.” Then the doorbell rang.

“Macca! Let’s go! We’re already late!” When Paul had gotten his backpack and made his way out the front door, John was waiting with his arms crossed. He saw how angry his friend looked, blowing right past him with a huff. “Whoa, whoa, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Fuck off,” Paul shouted, not turning back for fear that John might see that he was about to cry.

“Christ, okay…” The older boy remained quiet the rest of the way to school, and he could hear Paul sniffling. Was he crying?

-

Paul said nothing to him for the rest of the school day, but as soon as the final bell rang, John looked over at him, getting up and sitting on the boy’s desk. “Alright… What’s going on? Did your dad hit you again--?”

“No,” he whispered. It was the first thing John had heard from him since that morning.

“So what’s wrong? Something’s obviously off. And I don’t want you going home like this if I could’ve helped it.” Paul sighed. “Macca…”

“Can I go over to your place?

John eyed him. “Why?” Paul huffed.

“Nevermind. I’ll just ask George--”

“Hey, wait, I didn’t say no, Paul.” He hopped up off of his desk, looking seriously concerned over at his friend. “Of course you can come over, but I just want to know why. If your dad did anything to you, I swear, I’ll--”

“John, stop it! He didn’t do anything wrong. It’s only natural that he feels that way, but I’ve got to just give him some time.” Paul started to get up, and John kept an eye on him.

“What do you mean? Feels what way? About what?”

“Later,” Paul muttered, and John sighed, rolling his eyes.

John watched as he stood from his desk, looking at his face, which had become quite flushed. Something was definitely up. 

-

Paul was able to keep himself emotionally steady until darkness fell in the night sky, and Mimi walked into John’s room. They both looked up to her in trepidation as annoyance swept across her face. 

“John, I think it’s time for your friend to go home now.” She meant it, too, never being the kind of woman that would joke around.

“Can you give us five more minutes?” She glared, and John knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Sorry, Macca. I guess it’s time to leave.” And he didn’t think much of it as he walked Paul down the stairs and watched as he walked down the street in the dark.

“Bye, John!” Paul shouted nervously.

“See ya tomorrow, Paul!”

-

He did see him the next day, but not in any way that he expected. He had gotten up at his normal time, hopped on his bike and began to ride off to school, but as he rounded the corner, he nearly ran right into somebody sleeping on the ground.

“Sorry!” he exclaimed, shame rising into his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Mister. I wasn’t paying much attention, I--” But the person on the ground looked up at him, half asleep, and he recognised him immediately. “Paul?!”

That’s what got the younger boy to wake up all the way, quickly running a hand through his hair in an attempt to neaten it for his friend. “John, w-what time is it? We’re not going to be late, are we?”

“That can’t seriously be the worst of your worries! You’ve slept on the sidewalk!”

He shrugged. “Was tired.”

“Still doesn’t explain what the fuck you’re doing out here.” When Paul didn’t respond, John hopped off of his bike, leaning it against the building next to them both and sitting down next to the other. “Why didn’t you go home, love?”

“Me dad didn’t want me to. Told me to find somewhere to stay…” He was too sleep deprived that he didn’t care what he was admitting to at this point.

John felt a pang of sympathy in his heart. Was he the person Paul was going to ask until Mimi had kicked him out, too? “You could have told me. I would’ve let you stay!”

He shook his head. “No. No, Mimi didn’t want me there any longer.”

“If she knew your da wouldn’t let you home, she wouldn’t have minded!” Paul shrugged. “Why were you kicked out, anyroad?”

“That’s exactly it… Mimi probably would’ve asked why, and I didn’t want her to know that I’m gay! She wouldn’t let me see you at all anymore!” John stared at him for a few seconds before he realised what he’d said. “Oh…”

“You’re gay?” were the next words out of his mouth. 

“Oh, god… I’m not into you or anything like that. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable about it. I should’ve told you earlier, at least yesterday instead of being stuck out here. I was just worried.” When John was sure he’d finished his mini rant, he spoke again.

“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. But… your dad kicked you out just because you’re gay?” A nod. “What an awful thing to do! That fucking--”

“John, he needs time! He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Hasn’t he?? You just slept out here all night! I mean, thank god nobody hurt you or something! But this is his fault, it’s not yours!” Paul was starting to feel awkward with the conversation. “Paul, forcing you out of the house just because of your sexuality? That’s something wrong!”

“That’s none of your business!” Paul rebutted, still not awake enough to understand how ridiculous he sounded. 

“I’m sorry. Look, why don’t I walk you home, yeah? You smell, and there’s no way you want to go to school like that.” Paul shook his head. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to go home. My dad probably doesn’t, either.”

His defensive attitude had become sad, and John noticed it. “God, okay… you can stay at my place, then. But I’m not going to have you staying on the streets!”

“Sorry. I mean, for not telling you.” John opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn’t fast enough. “I should have.”

“Probably, but it’s your choice, anyroad. Let’s just get you to my place and we’ll phone you da, okay?” Paul nodded, wiping at his tears one last time before beginning to follow John back down the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's this because I've been working on it since July and finally got past the first paragraph :D

The second John walked in the room, he was met with his aunt Mimi standing with crossed arms and a glare that could kill. “Did Paul stay here last night?” she demanded, letting her arms down and onto her hips.

“What? No, of course not--”

“Because his father called asking if he stayed here.” He didn’t know what to say, and Paul walked in the house behind him. “Where was he, John?”

“Mimi, look--”

“Paul!” she suddenly said with a smile, seeing him behind John. “How lovely to see you again.”

“Mimi, his dad kicked him out.”

“He said he ran away.”

“God, that fucking--” He groaned, leading Paul towards the living room so he could sit down on the couch. Then he came back to the foyer. “Mimi, his dad kicked him out, okay!” he hissed at her. “He was going to ask to stay here, but he never did!”

“Jim said that he’s gay, and he was trying to stay here and seduce you, John! I just want you to be safe!” Her nostrils flared.

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?? Mimi, he came out to him! And it’s Paul, you know Paul! He would never do something like that!”

“I didn’t know he was--”

“He’s still Paul. He’s still my best mate, Mimi. And he’d never do anything to hurt me.”

She sighed. “So where was he last night, then? Even if I believed you, he still wasn’t at home, which means he had to have snuck into your room. You don’t think that’s suspicious?”

“I found him this morning down the street. He was asleep against the wall covering up with his book bag.” He looked down at the floor. “He was just scared to ask to stay over, because he knew he’d have to explain this to you, and he knew you wouldn’t understand. I guess he wasn’t wrong.”

John left to find Paul and helped him upstairs to his room. Within minutes on the bed, he started to fall asleep, and John started back downstairs.

“No, Mr. McCartney. No, he didn’t run away. Said you kicked him out.” His heart skipped a beat. Was she actually doing something nice for Paul? “I want to know why… what, that’s it? He slept outside because you don’t approve of who he is?”

“Mimi?” John whispered, sneaking up around her. “Can I talk to him?” She nodded and handed the phone to her nephew. “Hey. Fuck you!” Mimi immediately stole the phone back.

“I’m so sorry. John’s been-- what? No! … I’m going to bring him by in a bit…” She covered the phone. “John, where is he?”

“Asleep right now. He’s right tired.”

“He’s asleep, Mr. McCartney. I’ll bring him home as soon as I can.” Mimi hung up the phone and looked over to see John smiling at her.

“Thanks.”

“Well, you were right,” she admitted. “It’s still Paul. Do you want to go wake him up so we can take him home?”

“Yeah, I’ll go let him know.”

-

The car pulled up in front of his house, and Paul tensed up. John noticed. 

“It’s alright, Macca. We’ll stay here if you need us, alright?” 

Paul took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He wasn’t sure how comfortable he’d be just walking in. Fortunately, the one to open the door was Mike, and he immediately hugged his older brother.

“Oh, my god. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Dad’s still mad, then?”

Mike pulled away and pouted. “Yeah. I don’t know why he’s making such a big deal out of this. I’m sorry.”

“I expected it. It’s okay.” Jim then appeared down the hall. 

“Why didn’t you come home last night?” It was less of a question and more of a statement. Paul shifted his weight from foot to foot on the porch, not wanting to come inside.

“You told me not to. To give you some time to process--”

“You should have! We were worried about you!” Tears sprung to his eyes as he apologised. “Paul, I was talking to John’s aunt earlier…”

“I didn’t stay at John’s! I swear.”

“I know. You slept on the sidewalk instead of coming home. Did you really feel more safe out there than in here?” His feet were still outside of the door, and his father was getting closer to him. He flinched away only to feel two arms wrap around him. “I’m sorry. Love, I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”

He let out a sigh of relief, the tears starting to fall down his face. When the hug ended, he walked inside and waved goodbye to John.

“I’m sorry that I freaked out yesterday. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Of course you’re still you, and who you like doesn’t make any difference. I’m just worried that something could happen to you, and it was hard to convince myself that you really… sorry.”

“It’s okay, Dad. I forgive you. I know it’s hard to understand, believe me.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Without warning, Paul hugged him again. 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Paul.”


End file.
